Get in the Picture

[Photo Credit: Amy Meng Photography]

I have a very odd relationship with photographs. I am all about taking photos and documenting my life. I have no problems taking selfies if there is no one available or willing to serve as a photographer. I am very comfortable sharing all of these pictures all of the time on social media. 

But I feel much more hesitation, shame, and worry over formal family photographs. Part of the reason is that everyday photos seem transitory, fleeting, informal, with imperfections easily explained away. Formal family portraits are supposed to be permanent, lasting, beautiful - and any flaws that remain are simply ones that are part of our being. 

I have been having a lot of body image issues over my weight recently. Because of my weird weight issues, I have been hesitant to schedule a formal family portrait sitting. I absolutely love and cherish every official family photo we have ever taken. The picture above was taken by my dear friend two years ago, and a large canvas of the print hangs in our stairway. All four of us have changed in the past two years and I have thought that we need to update it . . . but not until I get in a place where I am happier with my body image. 

I posted a poll on family pictures and body image recently, and the comments were telling. So many people, particular women and mothers, struggle with body image issues as well, which makes photographs emotional and difficult. But so many women also lament the fact that they have few images of their own mothers in their own time of childhood - and would give anything to capture those moments. 

So maybe it is time to persevere and move forward, body image issues and other hang-ups and all. Maybe years from now, we will long to have the same body that we struggle to love now. Maybe years from now, we won't care about crow's feet or sagging stomachs. Maybe years from now, we will be saddened by the lack of documentation of us in the lives in our families. 

Some people struggle more with candid photos. Others, like me, struggle more with formal family photographs. But regardless of our struggles, I think it is time for us to all Get in the Picture. Because we are worth it.